Taryuq (S); sauliq (N) : SaltTaryuq (S); sauliq (N) : Salt Taryurtuu’uq una iqalluk : This fish is salty. Salt is an effective preservative because it can dehydrate plant and animal tissues and limit the growth of bacteria. This mineral was a valuable commodity during Kodiak’s historic era because it was used to process both animal pelts and fish. Early traders imported most of their salt. Although salt can be boiled out of seawater, the extr...

Kapuustaq: Sea LettuceKapuustaq: Sea Lettuce Kapuustat cungartaartut: Sea lettuce (pl.) is always green The sea lettuce found in the Kodiak Archipelago (Ulva sp.) is a bright green, leafy, intertidal alga that thrives on rocky shores. This marine plant has smooth, transparent leaves with small holes that can grow up to a foot long. These leaves have a short stem, or stipe, that clings to rocks with a tough, fibrous hold on. This plant ...

Anwik: Monk’s Lagoon Anwik: Monk’s Lagoon Apaangcuk Anwigmi et’aallria.: Father Herman lived at Monk’s Lagoon. Monk’s Lagoon is a tiny, tree-ringed cove at the southeastern end of Spruce Island, about fifteen miles north of Kodiak harbor. It is named for Father Herman, a beloved Russian Orthodox monk who established a hermitage there in 1818. Father Herman ran a small school and an orphanage in Monk’s Lagoon, where he is believed to ...

Alutiiq Word of the Week — Learned OneLisngasqaq : Learned One Gui lisngasqaq Alutiit’stun. : I am learned in the Alutiiq language. The Alutiiq word lisngasqaq is a respectful term, used in reference to someone who is considered wise. You might use this word to talk about a teacher, a mentor, or an Elder with the ability to share valuable knowledge. For example, young adults who are currently learning the Alutiiq language by apprenticing to fluent El...

Alutiiq Word of the Week — Buddy/pal/partnerAngayuk: Buddy/pal/partner Gui angayuka Kicarwigmen ag’uq.: My partner is going to Anchorage. Throughout Native Alaska, friendships were an important source of economic assistance as well as a safety mechanism and a way to enhance wealth. In addition to forming friendships within their communities, many men and women established lifelong trading partnerships with people in distant places. There was no limit to t...

Alutiiq Word of the Week — LiverAariq : Liver Nerciquq aarimek. : He is going to eat liver. People around the world enjoy eating liver. From liverwurst to fried chicken livers people savor its flavor and texture. Alutiiqs are no exception. Elders report enjoying a variety of wild game liver. They consider seal liver the best, followed by deer liver. Bird livers and fish livers are also delicious and long ago people ate bear liver, often raw. T...

Alutiiq Word of the Week - July 13, 2012Yapuun’saaq: Japanese Person Yapuun’saat tailliit Attu-men.: The Japanese came to Attu. The Alutiiq word for Japanese person, Yapuun’saaq, comes from the English word Japan. This word may have entered the Alutiiq language at several points during the 20th century. The Russian American Company had a Japanese employee in Kodiak. Japanese people have long participated in Alaska’s fishing industry, and in the early 19...

Alutiiq Word of the Weeks - July 6PaRag’autaq (N)/ PaRag’uutaq (S): Fishing Boat Kugyasigciqukut paRag’uutakun: We are going to go fishing (seining) on the boat. Visit any dock in the Kodiak Archipelago and you will find an array of fishing vessels. Skiffs, seiners, tenders and crabbers are part of the rhythm of life in Kodiak and its Alutiiq communities. Over the centuries, Alutiiq people have used many types of fishing boats. Before the arrival ...

Alutiiq Word of the Week - June 29, 2012Niuwacestaq: Telephone Una niuwacestangcuk miktuq: This telephone is small. In the days of cell phones and high-speed Internet connections, it’s hard to imagine that just 30 years ago, many of Kodiak’s rural families had no phone service. Elders recall that signal fires were once used to send messages from one village to the next and that lookouts were posted on mountainsides to signal the arrival of boats before ...

Taariq: Steam bath scrubber Taariq: Steam bath scrubber Taariq taiski: Bring me the scrubber. No trip to the steam bath is complete without switches and scrubbers made from local plants. Alutiiq people use these tools to enhance the cleansing and healing powers of steam. Switches are made from a variety of leafy branches, including alder and Kenai birch, while scrubbers are fashioned from wild ryegrass roots (Elymus sp.). To make scrubbers, ...